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Creative Cuisine: Fresh Vegetable Casserole

You open your fridge and you have nothing but leftover chicken, mayo, and grapes to use to concoct a dinner without having to go out to the store. What do you make for dinner, MacGyver? Chicken salad with sliced grapes! We’ve all been there, leftovers just sitting in your fridge and we have no idea what to do with them, but not wanting to waste anything. I love finding new and amazing recipes to make and tweak, but after each dish, you end up with all of these odds and ends that you don’t know what to do with.

I wanted to create a new series that highlights being creative and resourceful with the supplies you already have in the fridge and cabinets. You’d be surprised what you can create!

In this first edition, I wanted to share a dish I recently created: fresh vegetable casserole. I love buying local produce and we went a little wild on our last grocery trip and bought so much produce! Of course, fruits and vegetables don’t take very long to spoil, so I needed an idea quick. So here is a quick and yummy recipe that you can be as creative as you want with, by adding to and substituting whatever vegetables are listed in the recipe to cater to what you already have.

*Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups crushed crackers or breadcrumbs

-1 cup mayo

-1/4 cup butter

-1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and mozzarella

-1 can cream of chicken soup

-2 Tbsp. olive oil

-2 Tbsp. minced garlic

-asparagus

-carrots, peeled and chopped

-broccoli

-onion, peeled and chopped

-peppers, chopped

-celery, chopped

-mushrooms, chopped

-2 tsp. salt

-1 tsp. pepper

-2 tsp. garlic powder

-1 tsp. onion powder

Photo Credit: Samantha Story

*Directions:

Sautee olive oil, 1 tbsp. of minced garlic and the asparagus in a pan until asparagus is tender; approximately 10 minutes.

While the asparagus is cooking, cut and peel the vegetables. Sautee the carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers and celery in the butter and the other 1 tbsp. of minced garlic in another pan until soft; approximately 10-15 minutes. (All of the vegetables should equal approximately 3 1/2 cups. If you have more, that’s ok.)

Photo Credit: Samantha Story

Toss the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder into the vegetables until well-blended.

Pour all of the vegetables into a bowl and mix in the mayo, cheese and condensed cream of chicken and blend well.

Pour mixture into a greased baking dish, approximately 11x7x1 1/2″.

Cover the mixture with either the crushed crackers or breadcrumbs. (I personally used crushed up crackers).

Put the casserole into the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the casserole is thoroughly heated.